Meet Orion Pharma – New partner in the SweDeliver network
SweDeliver is honoured to welcome Orion Pharma to our partnership. Orion Pharma, founded in 1917 by Finnish pharmacists, is currently one of the Nordic region's leading pharmaceutical corporations with operations worldwide.
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Orion Pharma is a globally operating Finnish pharmaceutical company, developing, manufacturing and marketing human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Today the company's products are marketed globally in more than a hundred countries. At Orion Pharma R&D, over 500 employees in Finland, England and India conduct drug research and development with the aim to create new treatments for unmet medical needs.
We teamed up with Bert van Veen, Head of Biopharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Orion R&D, to ask why Orion Pharma – as a Finnish company – has chosen to join SweDeliver?
(Image removed) Bert van Veen, Orion R&D
“In our view, the SweDeliver consortium embodies an innovative environment where academia and pharmaceutical industry can come together and work openly on mutual interests. We are looking forward to fruitful discussions with experts and to tackle drug delivery challenges experienced in new drug development.
Drug development has entered a new era requiring enhanced drug absorption, drug targeting and controlled cell uptake. The scientific community is at the doorstep of creating new treatments for diseases with highly unmet medical needs. We believe that concrete collaborations between scientists from different disciplines are the way forward to find solutions for these drug delivery challenges.
The three work packages of SweDeliver – parenteral, oral and inhalation – are drug delivery areas familiar to Orion Pharma. The collectively defined research topics resonate with us as the topics depict everyday drug delivery challenges. As a result, we are looking forward to participate actively in SweDeliver.”
What key values will Orion Pharma add to SweDeliver and its junior researchers?
“Building the future is one of Orion Pharma’s key values. The company has a long history in developing new drugs and treatment methods for patients. Thereby, we also have a long tradition in collaborating with academia and institutions. A typical form of collaboration is for instance guiding master’s thesis students working in our laboratories.
Here, they will participate in drug delivery projects in research areas that contribute to the main goals of SweDeliver. Our scientists experienced in parenteral delivery, oral delivery or inhalation assist the students in their daily research. The scientific outcomes will then contribute to the SweDeliver objectives.”
Which values do you hope your involvement in SweDeliver will generate in return for Orion Pharma?
(Image removed) Orion R&D employs 500 co-workers
“Networking and the scientific dialogue it offers, is an important part of a scientist’s skill set. This will help scientists not only require new knowledge, but also strengthen the way newly obtained knowledge can be communicated and applied in drug delivery projects. Newly obtained knowledge could contained for example understanding of scientific fundamentals, critical biopharmaceutical parameters and novel analytical techniques, which scientists can apply whilst developing new drug delivery systems. Academic and industrial researchers can elaborate on new concepts and create deep understanding of underlying phenomena that will boost the applicability of novel drug delivery systems.”
What do you think SweDeliver will add to Life Science and Drug delivery in The Nordics in the foreseeable future?
“Orion Pharma R&D is on a continuous basis looking to expand its capabilities and collaborations. The SweDeliver structure is the next chapter in building a solid platform for drug delivery research not only in Sweden, but also in The Nordic countries as a whole.
Orion Pharma, Pharmaceutical R&D is looking forward to strengthen the Finnish contribution to the SweDeliver consortium. Delivery of novel drug entities has the great potential to put Nordic Life Sciences at the forefront of global development in novel drug delivery systems. We can succeed as a Nordic entity by collaborating in SweDeliver and beyond.”
Contact
(Image removed) Bert van Veen, Head of Biopharmaceutics
Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Orion R&D
bert.vanveen@orionpharma.com
More information
Visit Orion Pharma online
text: Magnus Alsne, Bert van Veen, photo: Orion Pharma